Dark Dreams

Author's Note: I do not own anything. All Characters belong Kripke. This takes place pre-series. Dean is 16, Sam is 12. When you see 'This' That is a characters inner thoughts. All that is "This" is the spirit. No the lore may not be correct but, this is my interpretation of it.

Chapter 6: Sprung the Trap

When they met up at a diner for lunch, the look on John's face told everyone what kind of mood he was in. He smiled to everyone else, one of his forced smiles. As soon as he laid eyes on Dean he was frowning. "Dean can you join me in the car for a moment". Dean knew that he was in so much trouble and that it wasn't a question but, an order. "Yes sir". He said as he made his way over to the Impala. 'Well this was a great way to ruin everyone's day'. "Sammy, go in with the others and get us a table ok". He gave him a genuine smile. It was small but it was there. 'At least Sam had the good mood dad for a bit'.

When the John and Dean entered the diner the mood at the table changed. John sat next to Sam and gave a small smile to the others at the table. Dean sat down next to him and was quiet the entire meal. He only spoke to order his meal. Whatever John had said was really eating away at Dean. "Can I go to the bathroom sir". Dean asked his father in a very small and low voice. John nodded and as Dean stood so did Bobby. Dean hated having people in the bathroom with him but, with the chewing out he just got from his dad he wasn't about to push his luck. "You wanna tell me what happened out there?". Dean was washing up and looking at Bobby in the mirror. "Just got a stern reminder that's all". Bobby knew that meant that Dean get yelled at, maybe put down a little and then a guilt trip of how much Sam needed him. How he was supposed to look out for Sammy. "You messed up kid. It ain't the first time and it won't be the last". Dean looked at Bobby. "Thanks for the confidence". Bobby smiled and stood by the sink. "When I first started I was making rookie mistakes left and right. Hell I'm still making mistakes. It's not that you make mistakes but, that you learn from them". Bobby reminded him. Dean looked at Bobby and knew he was right. In this line of work you had depend on myth and legends. Some changed, some had very little to nothing to work with. So every now and then you would make a mistake but, if you let one bring you down, you'll never succeed. Dean nodded and returned to the table.

They had a few more errands to run and decided to meet at the motel before dark. Dean was now riding with his father and Sammy was with Bobby and the others. Dean was being quiet and very compliant with his father. They had stopped to get supplies for hunt. Thankfully John had decided to wait for this kind of shopping till after he had done normal things first. Now that it was just them, John could take all the time he needed and really explore the gear. "I'm sorry". John suddenly said to Dean while they were at the counter waiting for their ammunition. "What?". Dean asked. He honestly wasn't sure if he had heard him correctly. 'Did John Winchester really just apologize?'. Maybe he was on the phone and was talking to another hunter or "old friend" as he liked to call his Marine buddies. "I said, I'm sorry". John now turned to look at his son. "I shouldn't have ripped into you like that. I'm sure you were terrified. Besides you did say that you were heading in to go get the others. Yes, being outside by yourself was a dumb mistake but, you were being responsible. You do keep this family in mind, especially Sammy. You would never put yourself in danger unless you were protecting one of us". Dean couldn't make eye contact with his father for a moment. "You are not a moron either". Dean smiled a little at his father's words. "Thank you sir".

They had met at the motel and were finishing up their dinner. They decided to eat it there so they were sure they would have enough time for her to come for him while they were all awake. The plan had been changed around again. They were going to have Dean sitting alone and interrupt her just in time. Sam was in Pastor Jim's room, Ellen and Bobby were in their room and John was sitting in the car. They left Dean alone in the room and told him to act natural. So Dean was sitting on the bed, back against the head board and flicking through the TV channels. He decided he would leave on a simple show just for background noise as he cleaned his gun and prepped the room. He had left out doing a salt line by the door so she could enter. He had put some rock salt in his pockets to have on hand, just in case. He was cleaning his sawed off shot gun and preparing his ammo.

It had been over an hour and so far nothing had been happening. They were hoping they hadn't blown this, that she wasn't currently looking at another kid. They had set up baby monitors in the room to listen in and a small video camera to keep up to date on the action. Dean had started to sing "Hey Jude" out of nowhere. The others looked on curiously. 'What made him think of that?'. John wondered. "Dean, why are you singing?". Bobby asked as he heard Dean as well. "It's playing". He answered simply. John couldn't hear the song. He heard the talking from the television and Dean. "I don't hear it". John said. Bobby was looking up some of the lore on her and saw that she can appear as a deceased loved one and can even make them hear something familiar to lull them into a false sense of security and comfort. "John, she is going to come as someone familiar to Dean. Why would he hear that song in particular?". Bobby asked. John's face paled. "Dean, can you hear me? Dean, she is going to look like your mother Dean. No matter what she says or does, do not look at her Dean". Bobby had heard every word and knew that Mary was dead, she was the reason the Winchester's were here. 'As if the kid needed more psychological scars'.

Dean had managed to hear his father's voice over the song that was playing in his head. That was the only explanation he could think of. The other's couldn't hear it and she had done something similar before. Blocking out all other sounds so I could only hear her voice. The song had changed, it was different now. It wasn't the Beatles singing it, it was his mother. I remembered her voice, how she would sing it to him. She would sometimes sing it a little slower than the recorded version. He could hear her, his mother singing her favorite Beatles song as a lullaby. 'Snap out of it Dean, mom is gone. This is the Woman in Black. Don't look, don't listen. Focus on something else. Focus on the gun in your hand, focus on what is real'. Dean reminded himself. He started to hear in between the singing the words "My Dean". It was definitely her. Dean was trying to keep his thoughts together, trying to stay grounded. "I can hear her, she's here". He said loud enough for the monitors to pick up. John and the others checked their weapons, loaded them and waited for the right moment. Dean had looked up slightly and could see her standing in the corner of the room. Immediately he shut his eyes. "Hello ma'am". Dean said. It was a code they made that let them know she was in the room with him. Dean was doing ok so far. Without looking at her he was able to keep everything under control. He wasn't hearing just her anymore. He could hear the television, hear the gears in the gun move. He was not fully under her control. As long as he kept his eyes closed he could make it out of this okay.

She had other plans. She knew what he was doing. This one was a real challenge but, she would not let that stop her. She began to make her way over to him. She knew he could fell her, sense her. He shivered at the drop in temperature that occurred around him. She needed to get him back under her control, she had to have her Dean. "Dean sweetie, it's mommy. Why won't you look at me? Don't you love me?". Dean flinched at her words. She sounded like Mary, used the same words mom would have used. If he didn't know any better he would have thought it was his mother. 'Can't think like that dude. Focus on what is real'. With that thought he began to move his hands on the gun again. Feeling the parts and gears. Feeling the shells that were in his pocket. He had to hold onto reality.

She was getting angry. Dean could feel it. The temperature was dropping again. Dean shivered as it seemed to get even closer. She had put her face in his line of sight. 'You will not win this child'. She decided to play dirty. There was a trick that spirits could do to gain control over someone. She brought her hand out and placed it against the side of Dean's head. Dean gasped at the cold feeling. Then he felt her, inside of his head. Drifting through, manipulating his thoughts. "Dean-o, it's mommy sweetie. Let me see those beautiful eyes". Against Dean's will and better judgment he opened his eyes.

John could see she was not going to give up without a fight. As soon as her hand was on his head John was moving. "Bobby, get here now". He yelled outside of the motel door. Bobby and Ellen were out in a second and had their weapons at the ready. Dean was staring at his mother. She was so beautiful, just like he remembered her. She was smiling and her hand was on his face. Her thumb running soft lines on his cheek. "Mom". Dean said as he leaned into her touch and stared into her eyes. "Yes baby, mommy's here". She began to move her hand forward towards his chest. To the area just above his heart.

John knew they had waited long enough. He tried the door handle and found it to be locked. He knew he left it unlocked and told Dean to leave that way. He took the key out of his pocket and unlocked it. He turned the knob again but, it still wouldn't move. "Shit, she's locked the room down". John said as the others looked on as he tried the key again. "Shit" he said again as he kept trying to get the door open. John moved into position to break it down. Bobby saw and stood right next to him, waiting for his count. "On 3. 1, 2, 3". John and Bobby moved together and put their shoulders to use. She wouldn't budge. "Again" John yelled. Bobby was with him again and put all his strength into it.

Dean could feel the burning sensation on his chest. He was about to look to see what was causing it when his mother smiled again and put her hand on his cheek again. "Look at me baby, look at your mama". So Dean did as he was told. The burning had stopped. He was starting to feel tired. Yet there was a strong feeling of safety and comfort as well. "You're not going to leave me right? ". Dean asked. Mary smiled. "Of course not baby. Go to sleep, mommy's here".

John ran to the room that had Pastor Jim and Sam. "It's gone to hell, I need someone to try to get through to Dean. He needs to fight this to release her hold. Sam was up before his father finished. Sam was passed the monitor. "Dean, can you hear me? Listen man, you got to fight this. Do you hear me Dean? That isn't mom Dean. Mom's gone man. You remember, you were there. You got to fight this Dean. You promised me, promised you'd come back. Promised you wouldn't leave me. Please don't break that promise Dean. Please". Sam said as he tearfully moved the monitor from his face to look at his Dad. "Please". He said once more to anyone listening.

Dean was so tired, he was just going to lay down for a little while. His mom was back and she was going to stay. He could hear another voice over hers. Sure he heard her saying "My Dean" over and over again but, this voice was different. It was familiar, someone he knew and loved. God he was so tired. He wanted to sleep already but there was something keeping him awake. That voice was still there. Something about fighting. He could hear his name in this other voice. Wasn't mom was clearer, the other voice was coming in clearer. "Promised you'd come back, promised you wouldn't leave me". That was Sammy. He had promised Sammy that. This wasn't mom, this was the Woman in Black.

Her face began to change. She didn't look his mother anymore. Her skin was gray, it was decaying. Dean's hand started to move to his pocket. It was slow and agonizing, trying to move against her hold on him. He was feeling even weaker than before. He knew that if he didn't stop her soon that she would kill him. She would make him break his promise to Sammy. Dean reached his pocket and grabbed a handful of rock salt. With what little strength he had left he threw it at her. She screamed and disappeared. She became nothing but smoke. Dean was so tired, so weak. He slid off the bed and was sitting on the floor between the two of them.

John heard the noise and tried the handle again. To all their surprise it clicked and opened. No one wasted another moment, the burst into the room. They had their weapons raised and were on full alert. John spotted Dean on the floor between the beds. "Dean!". He yelled as he put his weapon down and checked for a pulse. Dean's eyes were closed and he was not moving. 'The other victims had their eyes open. His are closed. Maybe this is a good sign'. John thought as he felt for his son's pulse. He found it. It was weak but, there. He nodded to Bobby who moved to Dean's other side. He gripped underneath his arms and helped lift him up onto the bed. John lifted up Dean's shirt. There on his chest was a black handprint. She had marked him. This wasn't over, not by a long shot.